The land Owners under the aegis of the Kelebe-Omu land owners Association in Osogbo has staged a peaceful protest calling on Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja to intervene on constant disobedience to court orders by the Nigerian Army.
The protesters trooped out in their hundreds on Tuesday to demonstrate their grievances over harassment and intimidation by the Nigerian Army on Kelebe-Omu land, describing the action as falling on contempt after court judgement in their favour which can cause crisis in Osun State.
The aggrieved people across the 45b family compounds in Osogbo and Olorunda Local Government of Osun State assembled from their various homes at the Palace of Ataoja of Osogbo for Royal blessing.
While speaking, the Ataoja of Osogbo, HRM Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun Larooye 11 condemned the flagrant disobedience of the court order by the Nigerian Army, reaffirming the ownership of the said land within his royal Territory.
It could be recalled that the Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo had in January , 2023 pronounced the land in dispute as the sole property of the land owners.
The protesting land owners later stormed the Osun State Government Secretariat , Oke-pupa, Abere, where they urged the State government under the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke and President Bola Tinubu to intervene and call the Chief of Army Staff , Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja to order and obey the court judgement.
The protesters were chanting different songs , bearing placards with various inscriptions such as ; Nigerian Arm sop Harassing us over our land, President Tinubu Help us over invasion on our land , Nigerian Army should leave our land after court judgement among others.
Addressing journalists , the chairman of the Kelebe-Omu land owners Association, Amodu Akanbi , lamented that the flagrant disregard for a court judgement by the Nigerian Army revealing that the Nigerian Army was selling off their land to individuals and was not using it for the purpose for which the land was earlier forcefully and unlawfully acquired from the land owners.
The protesters also proceeded to express their grievances to the Osun State House of Assembly in Osogbo.
The Speaker of the House of Assembly , Wale Egbedun assured the protesters that the House would do everything within the jurisdiction of the law to ensure that they repossessed their land.
Egbedun , who was represented by Adewumi Adeyemi, the lawmaker representing Obokun Constituency stated that the Assembly would take up the matter within the jurisdiction of the law, urging the protesters to ensure their protest was conducted in a peaceful manner.
According to Egbedun,’ we don’t want chaos or disturbance with the peace we already have in Osun State’.
‘Like I said , the Speaker of he Osun State House of Assembly has delegated everyone of us here to address you in his name. So, the House of Assembly is he one addressing you.
We have in our possession all your documents and the judgement papers and the order of execution from he State High Court. One thing I’d assure you is that the House of Assembly, under the leadership of Right Honourable Adewale Egbedun is going to take up, and very fast step on he issue because he has made up his mind to uphold the law at every point in time.
”As of today, the law says you are the rightful owner of the land except a court of competent jurisdiction rules otherwise at a later date.
”The Speaker is going to take steps on it to make sure it is resolved very fast. The step is also necessary because we are enjoying peace in Osun State. e don’t want anything that will tamper with the peace we are enjoying in the State”, he said.